Using the Object-Space MapScaler Modifier

Open the scene and apply modifiers:

1. Open the file \tutorials\new_materials\doors.max.

   The scene is of two door objects, to each of which is applied a Multi/Sub-Object material containing a wood bitmap texture on the inner panel.

   

   The texture is too large, so you'll use MapScaler modifiers to reduce its size.

2. Select the left-hand door, WSM Door, and, from the World-Space Modifiers category, apply a MapScaler (WSM) modifier. Set Scale to 50.0.

3. Select the right-hand door, OSM Door, and apply an object-space MapScaler modifier. Set Scale to 50.0, if necessary.

   

   The textures on both doors are scaled to half their original size, and look the same. Note that the selection bounding box of WSM Door is aligned with the world, while that of the OSM Door object is aligned with the object.

Rotate the textures on the first door:

Say, for some reason, you want the wood texture to be oriented horizontally instead of vertically. To do this, you'll select the polygons that contain the texture, apply a UVW Xform modifier, and then use the latter to rotate the texture.

1. Select the left-hand door, WSM Door, and apply a Mesh Select modifier from the Selection Modifiers category.

   The Mesh Select modifier appears in the modifier stack below the Map Scaler Binding entry. World-space modifiers always stay at the top of the stack.

   

2. On the Modify panel > Mesh Select Parameters rollout, click the Polygon button.

3. In the Select By Material ID group, set ID to 3 and then click the Select button.

   This selects the panel polygons on the front and back sides of the door. If it's not evident that they're selected, press F2 to turn on Shade Selected Faces.

   
   

4. Apply a UVW Xform modifier to the door.

   This modifier lets you change the texture orientation. Again, the MapScaler remains at the top of the stack.

   

5. On the Parameters rollout, turn on Rotate About Center, and then set Rotation to 90.0.

   Nothing happens to the texture image on the door. This is because the world-space MapScaler modifier is applying its own texture coordinates at the top of the stack, overriding the texture coordinates applied by the UVW Xform modifier. You can confirm this by turning off the Map Scaler Binding item in the stack (click its light-bulb icon). If you do, note that the texture is now rotated but is back to the too-large size, and then turn the Map Scaler Binding back on.

Rotate the textures on the second door:

1. From the modifier stack display, drag the Mesh Select modifier from the modifier stack onto the OSM Door object in the Perspective viewport.

   The second door is now selected, along with its textured polygons, and the Mesh Select modifier appears at the top of its stack, above the Map Scaler OSM entry.

   

2. In the modifier stack display, click the Mesh Select modifier entry, currently highlighted in yellow, to exit the sub-object level.

   This is necessary in order to be able to select a different object.

3. Select the WSM Door object again, and then drag its UVW Xform modifier onto the OSM Door object in the viewport.

   The UVW Xform modifier appears at the top of the OSM Door object's stack. Because it takes effect after the MapScaler modifier, you can see its rotation of the texture.

   

   The texture, still the correct size, is now rotated 90 degrees, according to the Rotation adjustment you made previously in the UVW Xform modifier.

   

4. Try changing the UVW Xform modifier's Rotation setting using the spinner; the texture orientation changes in real time. Also click the Map Scaler OSM stack entry and use the spinner to change the Scale value. Again, you'll see it change in real time.